While Bob Katter’s Party, the Shooters Fishers and Farmers, and David Leyonhjelm’s Liberal Democrats unsurprisingly top the donation list, the Liberal and Labor parties have each accepted tens of thousands directly from the arms industry.

The Greens are calling on political parties to reject money from the gun lobby and return the money they’ve taken to date. With ongoing pressure on the Federal and State parliaments to water down Australia’s world leading gun control laws, community safety must not be allowed to be sold off to the gun dealer with the biggest war chest.

Greens NSW Senator and Gun Control Spokesperson Lee Rhiannon said:

“It’s not surprising to see the likes of David Leyonhjelm and Bob Katter taking money from the gun lobby, but now we know that the Labor and Liberal parties are doing the same.

“Next time you see Justice Minister Keenan talking about gun control and removing red tape for gun owners, remember that his party happily pocketed $40,000 in donations from the gun lobby.

“We know that political parties make decisions that are in the interests of their donors. You cannot make credible decisions about public safety while being bought by the gun lobby.

Greens MP and Justice Spokesperson David Shoebridge said:

“No political party should allow community safety to be traded off for donations from the gun lobby, this money must be returned.

“Now we see the money trail it explains why the NSW Coalition was so keen to downgrade the classification of the Adler shotgun and why so little opposition came from the ALP.

“You only have to look to the US where gun manufacturers buy and sell politicians as part of the cost of doing business to realise how dangerous this development is for Australia,” Mr Shoebridge said.